Self-tending sawmill



iiNiTEn sTETEs PATENT oEEioE.

sAM. MOREIEL AND EDWIN MOODY, VOE ENDOVEE, NEW HAMPsHiRE. v 'f sELE-TENDING sAWMILI..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, SAMUEL MORRILL and EDWIN MOODY, of Andover, Merrimack county, State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Sawing Logs into Boards, which improvement is called the Self- Tending Sawmill, which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

The nature of this invention and improvement consists in a certain new and useful combination and arrangement of parts of machinery by which the sawmill tends itself (after the log is dogged) without requiring the presence of any person-or to be more particular the action of the machinery saws a board, then hoists the small gate which runs back the carriage, takes out the dog at the head block, sets off the log to the thickness of the board required, replaces the dog, shuts the small gate, unmeslies the gear which ran back the carriage and puts on the hands which prepares the mill for sawing a Asecond board.

To enable others skilled iny the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same we will proceed to describe the construction and operation of said invention in a more particular manner.

Figure 1 is a prospective view of the machine; Fig. 2, apparatus for hoisting the small gate, Fig. 3, under side of the immov- .able part of the tail block-represented in a reversed position; Fig. l, notched wheel and dog on the back of the tail block; Fig. 5, the movable inclined plane and screw on the fender post g next the rag wheel for setting olf the end of the log at the head block,-as the carriage runs back; Fig. 6, permanent inclined plane on the side of the opposite fender post p for pushing back the driving bar which runs through the head block to its original position as the carriage ad-V vances; Fig. 7, under side of the movable part of the tail block-einverted position; Fig. 8, knee, pole, and loop for taking olf and putting on the hands-also part of the apparatus for meshing and unmeshing the running back gear and the main gate pole; Fig. 9, top and side view of the right angled plate on the under side of the head block which strikes the knee that moves the gate poles for shutting the gates and for moving the indexrepresented in a reverse position ,-Fig. 10, top and side of thenotched knee that sets the log at the head block-4 represented in a reversed position ;-Fig. 11, driving bar and springs in the head block for moving the right angled arm; Fig.. 12, inclined plane and curved bar on the side of thefender postV for taking out the dog from the log.; View taken from the opposite side of the machine, near rag Wheel. F 13, topand bottom of the index plate for shutting the main gate; Fig. 14, driving bar and springs in the tail block; Fig. 15 top and end view of the movable gage block and Y adjustable cam for moving the tail block'- also the groove inthe side thereof',fliigiy 16, spring for replacing the hand andv knee which shut the gates;Fig. 17, top View of the said knee hand and spring; Fig. 18, the

dog which holds the right angled arm in the head block and prevents said arm from moving back until the log is cut up.V It passes through the top of the head block; Fig. 19, crank shaft and rod placed in the head block for dogging and undogging the' log; Fig. 20, horizontal and vertical section of the head block showing the perforati'ons for the arm and bars; Fig. 21, section of the carriage 10 showing the projection for is made as follows: The block A is made in.

the usual manner, except thatl it is perforated longitudinally through by a perforation P2 for the introduction and movement therein of a right angled arm D, Fig. 10, and a notched bar B, Fig.v 11, for moving said arm andr also perforated with a transverse groove G2 at right angles to the last mentioned groove, extending nearly half the length and breadth of the block for the Y reception and movement therein of the plain part of the right angled arm D. The notched bar is represented at B,.Figs. 1 and 11, and has two springs C C under--ittov keep the notches of thel bar in gear -with *notches ofthe arm and to contractand suier v the bar to recede from the arm'v'vhenV re-` quiredV to be drawn back.

. The arm "which rests fagalnst and frnoves" thelog is represented at D, D', Fig.- 10,'1one` branch oflwhich D is notched on the upper sideA as well asrthe under side for reversing as the mill sets off from one sidexor the other,

the side whichris uppermost Yreceiving a` dog' E, Fig. 18 passing through `vthe `topr of the head block, and which'holds the arm `from moving back while the lower side is in gear with the bar B. The;` other branch ofthe arm is made plain. u j Y At each end of the block isa lever F, Fig. 1, fornbearingdown the bar B and unmeshing it from the arm D so as toA allowV the' arm `D tobe drawn-back.

The dog Gr, Fig. 1, for holding. the log. is

made in the usual manner, except that the half bail extends to the end of the block and there enters and turns in an eye in a verticalv plate"fastened on the end of the block. This dog is driven into the log for Asecuring it by a strong spring H which is fastened at one end tothe top of the block. The otherl en dy islloose and bearsagainst the dog.V Y

`The dog is drawn from the log by means of a crank shaft L'Figs. 1 and19, and rod J which also contracts the spring The j horizontal part of the crank shaft I turns in a horizontal openingin'the head block. The

arm I, projects beyond the end of the blockV and'i's held up by abutton K (attached. to the top of the block) while rolling onthe log. The connecting rod J is attached to the corner of the bail and to a vertical part of the crank shaft.

To the under side of the head block is fas# tened awhorizontal plate L Vbent downwardv at right angles, Fig. 9, which strikes against a projection e on the knee 3 for shutting the gates, movingV the hand, &c., as'herea-fterdescribed. See Fig. 17 for projection fv. Y 1

.The tail block M, Figs. 1, 3, 7 is made and slides in the usual mannerV of slide tail blocks except in the following part-iculars. It is moved by a notched bar N, Fig. 14, on a similar principle to that ini the 'head block. rlhe bar, however, meshes into a notched plate P, Fig. 7 fastenedto the under side ofV the sliding partofthe tail `block M. An armfo, Fig. 14, projects down from the un der sdeofsaid bar, which, as the carriage moves back, vstrikes Vagainst an adjustable cam Q, Fig. 15,ofa-gage stockfastened to the middle rail Elwhich causes the barf to move the-slidingfpart Vofthe tail block Vand log toward the saw the thicknessoifV the board requiredto be sawed. `The same arm 0` strikes against a stationaryV canrRuponV the same stock, Fig. 15, on .the return-of the-car-` riage which moves the bar Nbackto its for'- mer position. Near the center ofthe; movable'part of the'tail block is a rack S, Fig. 7,

andlon fixed part-alpinion-T, Fig. 3*,for

holding the tail block firmly "while the log thereon ,is being sawed. 'Qnfthe aXle of the 'pinion (outside theblock)` is a notched `wheel Figs?)` andt, in whose notches a dog V engages, Which is pressed down by; a spring W', in thearm of which dog isa rectangular mortise X to admit a lever Y, .3, whose Vfulcrum is attached tothe under side of the rblock and whose pointof connection is tothe i under side of the notched bar N at Y and is usedA for drawing the vnotched. bar Ndown and disengaging the same from the `notched plate Pof the movablepartof the tail block, the-springs s s underthe notched barbeing contractedV at the same time. `There is ander side of the tail blockand whose opposite end is turned at right angles and brought to a sharp edge so as to passinto and along a groove b, Fig. `15, in a movable gagestock, hereafter described,forlitingsaid dog from the notched Wheel U sofas to allow the pin#` ion T to turn and the tail block M to move;

The movable gage stock, Fig. 1 5,is a re`c` Y otherrlever a; attached tothe under side of the @block-for raising the Vdog V from *the notched wheel U Whosefulcrum is in the un-V tangular piece of metal c with a rectangular groove d in the center of the same `under'- neath to permit ittofit upon andbefastened to a short rail or rib c between andparallel to thertwo siderails `on which the carriage j travels. The `tastening is effected simply by n a horizontal screwf passing through-one side of the Vstock andjbearing against the side oi the raile. "The stock `has flanges g g which rest upon the floorof theumill at the Asides'of the center rail. On'the top of this stock are raised projections R and h one on each side. One is merely a vertical plate h tapered at eachfend to which is attached by j a joint an adjustable cam Q, straight at one VVend and curved at the other,the curvedend being toward the tail end ofmill and adjustable at pleasure'by means of a horizontal `screw K for thick or thinboards, the inclination of which cam being increased when a` vthick board is required tobe sawed and de# creased` when a thinV one is desired, by said4 `L lscrew'l.' The other raised projection lR is of a triangular shape and has onitsflongest side on the outside a :groove b made flaring at one end for the-purpose above mentioned;

that is to say, `toadmit thepoint of the lever a, Fig. 3, for raising `the dog from the notchedwheel. This movable stock C may be shiftedin its position back or forth on the j rail e to accommodateitselfto logs' of various lengths.

On the insidefof'one of the fender posts is a hingedbar Z, Figs. ,1 `and12, o-iron pro-' jecting. out 1 frein the :tender post against j which a `projection Son'the endof the'arm ofthe crankI, Figs. 1f and 19, strikes and moves up over the same for drawing the dog G, Fig. 1, from the logs; said hinged bar Z is hinged to a curved arm m, Fig. 12, let into the fender post p, Fig. 1, and adjustable by a screw n, Fig. 12, for changing the inclination of the hinged bar for moving the hali:I bale dog more or less.

On the same fender post is an inlined plane O, Fig. 6, for pushing back the driving bar B, Fig. 1, as the carriage advances toward the saw, the projection S2 passing under the bar Z and lifting it in this forward movement of the carriage; it drops to its former position as soon as the projection S leaves it.

On the opposite. fender post g, Fig. 1, there is another inclined plane r Figs.` 1,l 5, adjustable by a screw t for setting the log for thecut of a board as the carriage runs back by the end of the notched bar B ofthe head block striking against the same.

yUnder the floor of the mill there is a horizontal lever u, Fig. 2, whose ulcrurn is in a hanging post fu projecting down from the iioor to one end of which lever is suspended a weight fw for hoisting the small gate and near the other end there is hinged a vertical bar x the upper end of which is hinged to a movable inclined plane y, Figs. 1 and 2, over which a roller e, Fig. 1, attached to the side of the carriage moves as the carriage is run back-presses down said inclined plane g/-moves the post w and the lever u and raises the weight fw which is held up by a spring catch 1 that hooks to the floor on the other side of the carriage-thus relieving the apparatus hereafter to be described to which the small gate is suspended from the iniiuence of the weight and leaving it at liberty to fall when required to be closed. The vertical pole 2 of the said gate is hooked up to the floor of the mill and is unhooked by means of a knee 3 fastened to the floor and partly under the carriage Figs. 1 and 17 moving on a pin 4 as its fulcrum and operated or moved by the right angled plate L under the carriage striking against a projection o on said knee which at the same time moves a hand 5 Fig. 17 which takes hold of the notches on the under side of an index plate fw Figs. 1 and 13 and moves it around one point at every cut of a board and when it is moved around to the last point a cam C2 on the periphery of theindex plate strikes against the main gate pole 6, hooked to the door, pushes it off which Vfalls by its own gravity and closes the main gate and thus stops the mill. The pole is attached to the gate and hooked to the floor in the usual manner.

The hand 5 is thrown back by a spring S S, Figs. 16 and 17 underneath the floor which bears against a pin x3 attached to the catch 5. When the small gate pole drops the running back gearing is thrown out of gear in the usual manner and the hands 7, 8 drop into gear with the rag wheel 9. When the small gate pole 2 is raised to let the water on the small wheel for `running back the carriage 10 the hands 7, 8 are raised from the rag wheel at the same time and this is eflectedin a new mode which is as follows-In place for running back the carriage said `vertical bar 11 is raised by said connection which'raises the lower hand 7 and with it the upper one 8 resting thereon from the rag wheel 9 which stops the advance of the carriage, and which will always prove eective without the liability of the forward or up-.. per hand catching or hanging in the notches,

and thus destroying this part of the saw mill. v

Operation: The carriage 10 being run back, the log dogged on the head and Vtail blocks, the hands 7 8 in gear with the rag `wheel 9, the pole 6 of the main gate is raised `and hooked to the floor 16 of the saw mill.

This lets on the water and sets the mill in motion, which continues until the log is sawed up when the pole 6 is pushed 071i from `the floor, falls and closes the main gate which stops the mill and this is effected* every time the cam (c2) of the indeX wheeil, Fig. 13, comes in Contact with the pole 6, which takes place at every revolution of the index, which is effected in a longer or and the number which is brought neXt the pole Vand to which the machine is set. The index is turned by means of the hand 5 lwhich is moved horizontally over the floor by theVr knee 3, by the plate L on the carriage striking the projection o on said knee which knee also moves the pole 2 of the small gate by means of the part L02 strikingk it and causes it to fall and close the small gate. When the carriage has advanced as far as it is intended to go a projection pin, or stud A2, Figs. 1 and 21, on the side of the carriage strikes the hook, knocks it` from the floor, which causes the weight w to fall and this raises the other end of the lever from shorter time according to the size of the log j that on which the weight is suspended,

j ection S on the armV of VVthe crank VI Y passing up Vover thev'hingedj bar Z `which causes the crank I to moveraround vrand draw back the dog from the log and being thus liberated from the log, vvhichV is then moved'forvvard bymeans of the bar B striking `against the end of the inclined plane r, Fig. 5, on the fender post lQ, which pushes in said bar, and this being geared With the no-tched arm against the plain part of which D the log rests it moves said logV or sets it toward the saw the thickness of the' board required to be cut, Which is `determined by the set of the inclined plane r, regulated for any thickness 'by the set screw t,'

Fig. 5. 'At the same time or a' little sooner the tail yblockis moved for setting the other end of the log, Which is effected by the arm O of the bar N striking againstthe adjustable cam Q` Which moves saidbar. and With itV the time the lever a enters theigroovev b which moves the lever and'raises the dog Vfrom Vthe notched Wheel Uv which j suffers" the pinion and rack to move which are merely designed to hold the block.` The lever a on leaving the groove moves back again, VWhich suffers the dog again to :tall into the notches of the Wheel U, Which holds the pinion from Y moving any Way. The lever a then passes back over the top of the stock Without impediment.A Thefplate L then again strikes the projection V on the knee 3, unhooksthe pole 2 and closes the small gate as before, and at the same time gears the hands with the rag Wheel andungears the running back gear and thefcarriage advances as before for a nen cut. The levers F are by hand used for bearingdown the bar so as to disengage it from vthe right angled arm that said cam may be moved backl in putting in another log. Y t,

The hands are ungeared at the Sametime thatjthe running back gearis put into gear when the small gate 'israised by the 'connectionofflevers,;knees,` and bars, before described.` The knee 14 is for raising the bar 1 1 which raises the hands,

j Whatewe `claim as our inventionand which We desire lto secure by LettersrPatent consistsj Y 'Y t 1. The combinatlon and arrangement of planer-being provided With a set sc'r'eW t to adjust itto any thickness of board required as before described@ y j j 2. The combination andarrangement of the dog- G,"`,crank I; armsJ;` and spring H with the hinged inclined plane b for drawing back and driving forward the dog G of the head block A asfdescrbed. movable part of the tail block, being bothV Y in gear by the notches on the bar and those on the plate ofthe tail block.` At thefsame 'C and adjustable cam Q in combination With the center rail c to which it is secured j j andthe notched bar N` andi notched plate P ormoving the tail yblock Malso the arrangement of the Ilever a moving in the groove b of the stock C for raising the dog V fromthe notched Wheel U as described.

The combination of the index 13 and hand with the knee Bffor shutting the main gateto stop the mill'l at any required time as described.

5. The mode of lraisingthe hands, fromthe ragV Wheel bylmeans of the combination of *the vertical ',bar l1, loop `12, and knee 14 with the ordinary apparatus for meshing and unmeshing the gear-for running back as Y described.

SAMUEL MORRILL. EDWIN MOODY.

evVitnesses:V

Mosns FRAZIER, i CHARLES B. HILTON. 

